Rakuten Viber signs the European Code of Conduct

Rakuten Viber is currently signing the European Union Code of Conduct in Brussels, further strengthening its commitment to building a secure messaging platform.

Rakuten Viber, the world’s leading company in private and secure messaging via voice and voice, is signing the EU Code of Conduct as a commitment to prevent and combat the spread of hate speech on the internet in the European Union. On May 10, 2022, Idit Arad, General Manager of Rakuten Viber – having a security role for the company – meets with EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders in Brussels to sign the agreement.

Rakuten Viber connects people from all over the world through secure chats, private or group, and channels within its platform. It continues to be one of the most popular messaging applications in Central and Eastern Europe with a penetration of 76% of smartphones. As Viber continues to expand its capabilities and create new ways of communicating between users, the company is committed to creating a secure messaging platform. Viber ensures that its users feel safe no matter how they communicate.

The signing takes place in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on 10 May. Rakuten Viber will work with the European Commission and the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumer Affairs, as well as a network of specialized organizations to monitor, analyze and eliminate hate speech on its platform.

Organizations involved in complying with the Code of Conduct include public bodies such as the Spanish Observatory for Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE) and the Office for Discrimination in Italy (UNAR), as well as civil society organizations from across the European Union, such as the Ligue Internationale Contre le Racisme et l’Antisémitisme (LICRA) in France; Viber implements the necessary tools to help credible NGOs report hate speech. It will offer a special form on its platform specifically for NGOs and authorities, in order to streamline their process and ensure that Viber can take action and remove it as quickly as possible. In collaboration with NGOs, Viber can ensure that the user experience on the platform will always be positive, protecting it from the spread of illegal hate speech.

Viber dedicates resources to training and supporting content surveillance teams, who will evaluate hate content and take immediate action to remove it when necessary. To provide a better understanding of the tools available, Viber will also work with NGOs to educate them on how the platform works.

The function of Viber that will benefit most from the signing of the Code of Ethics is its Channels. Users from all over the world can subscribe to the Channels to read the latest news, participate in polls and quizzes, and access exclusive content. Viber Channels also allow a public forum and the Code of Conduct will ensure that the right steps are taken to monitor the content posted there. In the event of hate speech being reported, the message may be flagged by one of the participating NGOs or other users and the coordination team will review it. Viber intends to commit to reviewing such notifications within the 24 hours specified in the Code.

“Viber has always been committed to the privacy and security of its users. With the recent signing of the Code of Conduct, we can go one step further in this area,” said Idit Arad, General Manager of Rakuten Viber. “Viber’s extensive list of privacy features, such as end-to-end encryption, self-destructive messaging and covert chat, offer our users enhanced privacy settings when exchanging personal messages. Our channels, Viber users can be involved without fear knowing that we take their interest seriously. ”

In addition to combating hate speech within the platform, Rakuten Viber seeks to combat other immoral behaviors and prevent additional illegal activities such as trafficking, bootlegging, fraud and more.